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The Keller Family reunion.


xReems

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Are you being serious? 'Cause they're still human beings, still people. I can't deny that some really crazy people out there think that way, but c'mon....Every parent has this plan in mind for their own kids and with every kid that turns from said ideals, a sane parent is questioning their parenting and wondering which mistakes they might have made. I don't doubt the Keller parents have majorly scrutinized their behavior towards their children and I hope they have come to the conclusion that a personal relationship with them is more important than their religious doctrine.

I don't doubt the old Kellers are really deeply into ATI, either. Yet, they seem to love their children. Rebekah's husband once came out and explained that Pa Keller, while certainly into ATI, is not the authoritarian, gropey creep people believe him to be.

I guess all three children turning away from them ( Rebekah and her husband leaving the cult, Daniel and Candice doing the same/Daniel not giving a sh*t about his father's authority, and Suze ditching the whole courtship crap and having a child out of wedlock) was really hard on them and they didn't know how to deal with it other than shunning them for some time. I'm glad for everyone involved if they have found a way to accept and love each other despite all those differences.

I always hoped that Suze having a child and living far away with her sister was so hard on Ma Keller, that she decided to ignore what happened and be glad to have a relationship with her youngest girl. I hope the same goes for Pa Keller and Daniel.

Btw, I don't know where to put Esther and John. They're certainly still fundie but they both left ATI and have made it very clear tat they despise GotHard and his teachings.

Btw#2, I have always found all of them (Anna and Josh, the Pecans, Esther and idiot husband) much more likeable after each big Keller reunion. "A bit of fresh air" so to speak...

The Keller siblings all seem to be very close regardless of believe and level of fundie-ness and I'd hope that the partners all just go along with that.

I agree, most fundie parents genuinely love their children and want them to stay with the parents' own heartfelt beliefs. But there's also another level where they want to keep fighting a culture war and they believe that's accomplished through having generations of the "right" kind of children, even in less than ideal circumstances.

{L_MESSAGE_HIDDEN}:
I hope this story doesn't sound judgy, it's not intended to be - just the facts of something that happened in my family to prove how fundies put fertility and numbers of the "right" babies above some of their other beliefs. My extremely fundie (headcovering wearing) sister-in-law gave my brother-in-law's girlfriend advice on the best times to have sex so that they could have a boy. She gave all these tips in a hardly disguised way while we moms were working together fixing a family meal -- with the children right there in the kitchen with us.

My brother-in-law and his girlfriend are already in a high-drama relationship. They're staying together, according to what he's told my hubby, only because of already having a child together. Neither one is set on trying to stay together forever, the girlfriend just wants a boy before she turns 30. They aren't planning to marry, don't claim to hold any settled religious beliefs, and this girlfriend isn't sheltering her children from anything (she already had another little girl) and even watches movies around them that are not meant for children.

But my fundie sister-in-law supports them having more children together. That just really surprised me. I just don't like hypocrisy. This fundie sister-in-law is picky about keeping her own little girls in strict modesty dress codes and gender roles. Then she turns around and encourages out of wedlock pregnancies in her brother's shaky, unhappy relationship. My sister-in-law reads Above Rubies religiously, so that may be part of why she thinks babies, babies, babies are more important than the ability to care for or create a stable situation for kids that are already here.

And that's quiverfull fundie logic, on some levels. Not all fundies think the same as my sister-in-law of course, but aiming for generations of the "right" kind of kids might be why some fundie parents are sad but not devastated when their kids leave the strict standards for a more mainstream life.

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I don't think they're twins. Here is an older picture of the family they appear to be different ages.

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Thanks!! I remember this picture. Yes I was wrong about the youngest boys being twins.

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Got hard may have resigned, but that doesn't mean his followers have stopped drinking the kool-aid.

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You know what's odd about that group shot? They sort of tried go color coordinated for each family, but not everyone was on board.

Like Anna's family is in yellow, Priscilla's family is in orange, and Rebekah's is in purple.

But while Daniel is wearing a brown shirt, Candace is only wearing a brown scarf and their son doesn't have any brown (except maybe the suspenders?). Suze and her daughter aren't really matching, beyond both wearing scarfs; her daughter also has on yellow, which sort of goes with Anna's kids. Then Ma Keller, Nathan and David are in red, but Pa Keller is in blue.

It's odd to me.

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He's looked depressed for a couple of months. The bloom is way off the Life-in-'DC'-Lily.

And Josh looks so much like his grandfather Ruark--dark circles around the eyes, facial shape and features, hairline, body habitus. And I think I'm recalling right that Grandfather Ruark was diabetic, which Josh's weight, diet, and lifestyle won't keep at bay.

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Thanks for posting the links above on the Keller/Shraders. I tried to look through them but just don't have the time,

I wonder if it would be possible for someone to just answer a question? It was mentioned that the Schraders have rejected Gothard? Can anyone explain that a bit more? From what I was able to gather when looking over their threads, it seemed like they were straight up Gothard types. Subservient woman, lots of kids, husband with no real job, etc.

Also, just in general, Does Gothard encourage men to also not have jobs? It seems like so many of these fundie families have a dad who not only doesn't let his wife work outside the home, but they also don't work.

I get that some might be self employed, but not everyone can be self employed. And even when those men are self employed they don't seem to work consistently, a la Gil Bates.

It's just a (stinking) rose by any other name. John is always very careful to describe himself as a "Biblical Baptist" because it gives him a sense of authority to pretend like he is only relaying god's word to other people. Plus it makes him sound special and makes his mission work less ridiculous, because most Zambians may be Christian, but they are not Biblical Baptist and are therefore doin it rong. That sort of mindset doesn't mesh well with following other cult leaders like Gothard. Especially as accusations of impropriety started to fly, John wanted to distance himself from the blowback. It doesn't matter if he's just as legalistic and self-centered, he can say he's not associated with IBLP and that puts him in a better place. It's kind of like Chris Jeub's efforts to distance himself from patriarchy after the DPIAT fiasco, while still being an abusive asshole.

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He's looked depressed for a couple of months. The bloom is way off the Life-in-'DC'-Lily.

And Josh looks so much like his grandfather Ruark--dark circles around the eyes, facial shape and features, hairline, body habitus. And I think I'm recalling right that Grandfather Ruark was diabetic, which Josh's weight, diet, and lifestyle won't keep at bay.

Josh makes me think they are abstaining--he's eating to compensate! Poor guy--none of the Duggar boys can help that awful hair line, but Josh needs to listen to that trainer. It's hard to stay on track when you have to travel for work, but it's not impossible.

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Josh makes me think they are abstaining--he's eating to compensate! Poor guy--none of the Duggar boys can help that awful hair line, but Josh needs to listen to that trainer. It's hard to stay on track when you have to travel for work, but it's not impossible.

He looked pretty overweight and unhealthy when they clearly weren't abstaining, too, though.

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Problem with Josh IMO is that Josh doesn't think that anything bad will happen to him. There's no cause and effect for him. Boob and Mullet never taught him healthy eating habits, as was evident when Josh first married and binged on fast food and queso. Until Josh has serious health issues, he won't exercise regularly.

But really, all I could think of when I saw Josh in the pic was how big he was compared to the Kellers, even Pa Keller, and Josh's man boobs. I could see the them even with an undershirt on.

I think John David looks more like Grandpa Ruark than Josh. But I see Josh takes after Michelle's side of the family.

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He looked pretty overweight and unhealthy when they clearly weren't abstaining, too, though.

Maybe he's depressed and overeating because he's realizing he doesn't have as decent education an as his colleagues, that he's working a sham job, and he's expected to somehow produce and support a huge family. JB is ridiculously competitive, so Josh will never one up him no matter how hard he works to prove himself. I can see how he's kind of in a trapped situation, mentally. It doesn't have to be that way though, he's not even 30 yet and the Duggars have contacts in business and politics. Josh could still train to be a lawyer. He could man up and say, sorry Dad that huge family thing is your path not mine. He could get into a gym - Anna looks great and she has to care for little kids around the clock; Josh doesn't have that holding him back. Sorry, not sorry - i'm just going to say he's a lazy bum. :lol:

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Maybe he's depressed and overeating because he's realizing he doesn't have as decent education an as his colleagues, that he's working a sham job, and he's expected to somehow produce and support a huge family. JB is ridiculously competitive, so Josh will never one up him no matter how hard he works to prove himself. I can see how he's kind of in a trapped situation, mentally. It doesn't have to be that way though, he's not even 30 yet and the Duggars have contacts in business and politics. Josh could still train to be a lawyer. He could man up and say, sorry Dad that huge family thing is your path not mine. He could get into a gym - Anna looks great and she has to care for little kids around the clock; Josh doesn't have that holding him back. Sorry, not sorry - i'm just going to say he's a lazy bum. :lol:

I have wondered about this, too. I don't know if he actually IS depressed, but let's just imagine what could be going on in his head. As others have said, he probably realizes he has limited education and, therefore, limited job prospects. He has a stay-at-home wife (also with limited education) to support along with three little kids. Suppose that NOW he is starting to question his parents' philosophies AND/OR the FRC. If he leaves the FRC, he has only his parents, and, by extension, their TV show, to fall back on. If he breaks from the parents, he has only the FRC for income. The guy is 26 years old, and he's between a rock and a hard place. I have kids that age who are JUST getting to a place where they can take care of themselves and their bills and navigate friendships, relationships, and all the rest of life. This guy has a lot on his plate.

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Not to sound like a leghumper, but maybe he just didn't feel good that day.

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Not to sound like a leghumper, but maybe he just didn't feel good that day.

He's looked...of questionable health for a few months now. It was particularly bad when he had the beard. Just...not good.

post-8463-14451999727513_thumb.jpg

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He's looked...of questionable health for a few months now. It was particularly bad when he had the beard. Just...not good.

To me he always looks sweaty and out of breath - just generally unhealthy.

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To me he always looks sweaty and out of breath - just generally unhealthy.

And smells of Drakkar Noir or Axe body spray. :ew:

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I gotta give Josh credit for, at least when the cameras are rolling, being so loving to his wife. Anna would be so frustrating to me that I would tear my hair out. He always genuinely seems to appreciate and love her.

The guy practically carried half of that season with their crazy antics of fat shaming/vacationing, while holding some kind of job. That's a lot of pressure.

But, yea, he looks really rough. And I am sick of Anna's stupid scarves.

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I hate to defend Josh, but it is NORMAL to gain weight when you leave your parents' house. For most of us, it's called the Freshman 15, and yes, it's because normally kids go away to college and eat (and drink) like crap because they kinda have an invincibility complex and aren't great at moderation yet.

But then they learn...and they pick up healthy habits...and they lose the weight.

Well, some do. Honestly, I've known friends that have kept it on and keep piling it on.

To be honest, I'm the same age as Josh (we're separated by only a few days), and the only thing that stands out about Josh to me vs my totally secular friends is that most of those that keep the weight on and keep piling it on have a partner that does the same. Most of my friends, if they have a partner that has kept fairly trim, will keep trim themselves.

So yeah, I can't say Josh is terribly out of line with his peer group, though I would suspect he has food issues just from totally idle speculation (and I suspect food was strictly portioned in the early days of the Duggar household. Josh probably had a limit of how many helpings he could have, and as a growing boy, that may not have fully satisfied him. But that's just idle speculation).

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I don't know if Josh putting on more weight (again) can be necessarily mean he's depressed or not getting any sex. I think for awhile he was really motivated to loose the weight. He had that contest with JB motivating him to exercise and I bet Anna was being more careful about what she cooked for dinner. Plus they probably together made a point to eat out less and pick healthier options. I think after a little while the newness of it wore off and he got lazier about it. He got busier and had trouble making time to workout. Anna probably started cooking some of their old favorites again. Also hasn't he been traveling with FRC, which probably means lots of eating out? I feel like this is how weight loss/diets work for a lot of people. At first they're super excited about loosing that weight and committed to it but over time they stop putting as much effort into it. I bet at some point he'll have another burst of enthusiasm for loosing the weight and it'll start coming off again.

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You know what's odd about that group shot? They sort of tried go color coordinated for each family, but not everyone was on board.

Like Anna's family is in yellow, Priscilla's family is in orange, and Rebekah's is in purple.

But while Daniel is wearing a brown shirt, Candace is only wearing a brown scarf and their son doesn't have any brown (except maybe the suspenders?). Suze and her daughter aren't really matching, beyond both wearing scarfs; her daughter also has on yellow, which sort of goes with Anna's kids. Then Ma Keller, Nathan and David are in red, but Pa Keller is in blue.

It's odd to me.

Well, I don't know much about the Duggar group, but the Pecans are always color coordinated. I envision Davida at the Kohls, with his coupons and Kohls cash, making sure his little family unit is always freshly coordinated and agonizing over which shade of orange might look most autumn-y on Paul and if burnt orange is appropriate for Davida.

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Agree that Josh' initial weight gain after getting married was probably the typical aka Freshman 15 gain that's typical when out of the parental home. He could eat whatever he wanted for the first time and if he experienced strict food portioning while growing up, I would think he would really enjoy that freedom.

But that family picture was a jolt; he looks a lot older in that picture.

Think it's very possible that he's realized from his FRC job experience that he does not have the educational attainments of his colleagues. He probably went in think his homeschooling would be on par with the rest of his coworkers and is finding that's not the case. I always thought that working and living in DC would be a big giant lightbulb for him.

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I don't know if Josh putting on more weight (again) can be necessarily mean he's depressed or not getting any sex. I think for awhile he was really motivated to loose the weight. He had that contest with JB motivating him to exercise and I bet Anna was being more careful about what she cooked for dinner. Plus they probably together made a point to eat out less and pick healthier options. I think after a little while the newness of it wore off and he got lazier about it. He got busier and had trouble making time to workout. Anna probably started cooking some of their old favorites again. Also hasn't he been traveling with FRC, which probably means lots of eating out? I feel like this is how weight loss/diets work for a lot of people. At first they're super excited about loosing that weight and committed to it but over time they stop putting as much effort into it. I bet at some point he'll have another burst of enthusiasm for loosing the weight and it'll start coming off again.

We all know it's easier for men to lose fat and gain muscle. He's really not trying. Just think - he had a pro trainer brought to his door. How much easier can it get? Restaurants these days offer loads of low calorie options. Lean fish with seared green beans or something, and a salad. Flavored unsweetened tea instead of soda. He for sure doesn't have to go through dragging kids to the store, choosing recipe ingredients, making the meal, and cleaning up the mess like Anna does, and she is in shape. He could so easily be ripped, if he decided to go for it. Add to that his family could win the Arkansas Self-Tanners of The Year award, obviously it's not against their convictions to tan. So yeah - lazy.

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I think it's kind of sad that a photo that shows a hard core fundamentalist family overcoming their differences of opinion and happily accepting ALL of their children and grandchildren - even the ones who completely rejected their lifestyle..........somehow turns into a fat bashing session.

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I don't have much to say, except that the Kellers look really happy in that picture. I'm glad for them - especially as it seems they've welcomed their prodigal son/daughter back into the fold. People may take a hard line against out-of-wedlock children, until they have an adorable grandchild staring them in the face. Let's cut them a break, guys.

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